168
VADAVALi
The Dvaitin examines the third alternati ·e, namely " being the material cause of delusion", What is it that is meant by the term "delusion " ? Is it the content of the delusive cognition, or the delusive cognition itself ? It cannot be the content of the delusive cognition, because it is unreal ; and for the unreal there is no material cause. It cannot be the second, because the definition "being the material cause of delusive cognition" is over· pervasive in respect of the internal organ. The internal organ is the material cause of the cognition in general. Further the defini· tion is also inapplicable, because nescience is not directly the material cause of the delusive cognition. The Advaitin points out that non-acceptance of the position that nescience is the material cause of delusion would result in the admission of the reality for the delusive cognition. The Dvaitin points that such a position is acceptable to him. The Advaitin points out that the acceptance of the reality of the delusive cognition contradicts the possibility of sublation. If the delusive cognition is to be real, there should be no sublating cognition as invalid knowledge; but there is the sublating cognition. So the delusive cognition is not real. The sublating cognition denies the reality of the content of the cognition. The Ad,·aitin's argument leads to the conclusion that if the content of the cognition is real, the cognition is real. XII (89-130). The Dvaitin after dismissing the definition of nescience, proceeds to point out that nescience has no pramaQa. It is not nescience as such that has no pramaQa; but it is nescience as defined by the Advaitin that has no pramaQa. The Dvaitin also admits a kind of nescience that is beginningless ; but it is not indeterminable. The Advaitin puts forth this inference to establish the positiwe nature of nescience. (See Taft'I.Japradrpika, p. 58). 'lhe ~ubject of the inference is Devadatta's valid cognition and the pl'obandum is positive nescience. It h'as to be established; so it cannot be stated barely. If it is barely stated, the Dvaitin would urge the
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